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Lady King credits Orillia roots for her 'surreal' NCAA success

'I don’t think I would have gotten this far if I never got that push,' Paige Stachura says of Lady Kings coaches and teammates

Former Orillia Lady Kings standout Paige Stachura is making headlines south of the border playing Division 1 lacrosse at Canisius College in Buffalo.

Stachura, 21, started her lacrosse career when she was eight years old.

“I literally started just for fun with my friends,” she explained. “I played hockey as my winter sport, but in the off-season, a lot of my friends were playing lacrosse, so I started playing, too.”

The Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School graduate quickly fell in love with playing lacrosse, so much so that she quit hockey to start focusing on lacrosse year-round.

“Lacrosse is a growing sport,” Stachura said. “Through lacrosse, I’ve met girls from all over the place.”

The social aspect of the game and the opportunity to meet new people were confidence boosters for Stachura, who thrives in a team atmosphere.

Pat Morris was Stachura’s coach during her core learning years as a U15 and U19 player in Orillia. Stachura credits Morris for her success.

“At first it was hard because he was pushing us harder than a lot of other coaches would,” she said. “He made me so much better and made me want to be better.”

With support and encouragement from Morris, Stachura got the urge to play more at a more competitive level and started chasing the opportunity of playing in the NCAA on a scholarship.

“I don’t think I would have gotten this far if I never got that push,” she said. “I always just kind of played for fun, but Pat took it more seriously with me and made me get so much further.”

Stachura grew up playing with Morris’s daughters, Hannah and Kassidy Morris, Jerica Obee who are among the teammates she credits with helping her reach the elite level.

“We all had similar goals, pushed each other, and supported each other,” she said. “They helped me get here, too.”

Stachura just completed her junior year at Canisius College and will return for her fourth and final year in the fall. Every day, she explains, is a grind for her. She is in the classroom, at practice and in the gym daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“I’ve really enjoyed it,” she said. “It’s helped me develop so many skills that I can use going forward in life.”

Stachura seemed to always be involved with the campus' top 10 plays of the week during the season.

“It’s honestly so surreal,” she said. “Growing up, I would always watch those videos of older girls making those highlight plays and I never thought that I would get there.”

She now holds the record for most consecutive games with multiple goals for Canisius College. She also held the top spot in the nation for free-position shots for a few weeks during the season.

Most importantly to Stachura, she won two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) awards, which are given to NCAA athletes who are doing well both academically and athletically.

“All of that is awesome and very cool,” she said. “I credit my teammates for all of that because without them, I wouldn’t be here."

Stachura was also the top sophomore for her team and finished third overall in total points.

“It’s cool to have those successes,” she said. “I’m enjoying doing it with everybody and it’s fun to share these awards with my teammates.”

In her graduating year, Stachura hopes to make the NCAA’s all-MAAC team and all-academic team.

“I’ll be making the most of what I have left,” she said.

Stachura encourages young aspiring lacrosse players to follow and not give up on their dreams.


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Tyler Evans

About the Author: Tyler Evans

Tyler Evans got his start in the news business when he was just 15-years-old and now serves as a video producer and reporter with OrilliaMatters
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